Automatic self-operating butcher block and plate cleaning brush



Oct. 26, 1937. w. I OL'GAR' 2,096,915

AUTOMATIC SELF OPERATING BUTCHER BLOCK-AND PLATE CLEANING BRUSH Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

WILL/AM fag/w,

w P'OLGAR Get. 26, 1937.

AUTOMATIC SELF OPERATiNG BUTCHER BLOCK AND PLATE CLEANING BRUSH Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Shept 2 Wu L MM P 04 9417, INVENTOR/ l-Illlllll'lll I I l l l Patented Oct. 26,1937

UNlTED AUTOMATIC SELF-OPERATING BUT BLOCK AND PLATE CLEANIiNG BRUSH v William Polgar, New York, N. r. Application January 21, 1937, Serial No. 121,649

3 Claims.

now done by manual labor by scrubbing and brushing the block until all the blood, dirt, refuse and other signs of the work done on said block during the day are entirely removed.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a'power operated brush which may be easily applied to a butcher block or plate" and which will clean the same quickly and efliciently, saving time, and hard labor. Other objects of this invention will be apparent as the specification of the same proceeds, and among others I may mention: to provide a device as characterized hereinbefore which will be comparatively simple, constructed of few elements, inexpensive to manufacture making the same available to practically every butcher who desires to acquire and use one, which will be easily applied to any butcher block or plate .and as easily removed from the same so that it will not interfere with the normal use thereof.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification and accompanying the same:

Fig. 1 is a staggered sectional elevation of my device as applied to a butcher block, the section being taken on the line I-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary partly sectional plan view of my device;

Fig. 3 is a semi-diagrammatlcal side elevation of my device indicating the two extreme positions of its traveling cleaning elements proper;

Fig. 4 is a similar plan view of one-half thereof, the positions of the cleaning brush therein being in conformity with those of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a semi-diagrammatical partly sectional fragmentary side elevation of my device, portions of the same having been removed.

Referring to the drawings more in detail by characters of reference, the numeral I indicates a rotating cleaning brush being the main operating element of my device, said brush being composed of a cylindrical core 4 from which bristles 5 are projecting. A shaft 6 is arranged within the core 4, being threadedly engaged by stud shafts I at 'the two ends thereof and secured by nuts 3.

A U-shaped carriage frame 2 is provided for my device with two downwardly turned leg frames 3, and the stud shafts l have bearing means and are rotatable in said leg frames 3 being secured therein by the caps 9 on their outer ends.

A rotatable vertical pin ii is arranged in the rearward end of the leg frame 3 being secured therein by the cap I2, as it will be obvious to those versed in this art, the lower end thereof carrying a fork member 40 in which is arranged a horizontal shaft with an electric motor 4| r tating the same either directly or through an appropriate gearing (not shown) the outer end of said shaft having the gear l0 secured thereon. A spring 14 is interposed between said fork member 40 and a lower end of the leg frame 3 whereby said gear i0 is pressed against a rack path, to be described presently and at the same time the leg frame 3 is pressed upwardly to' counterbalance and easethe downward pressure on the brush proper |,.the means for which will also be described.

The numeral 15 indicates the butcher block to be cleaned, which has the two elongated boxlike castings i removably secured at the two sides thereof, as shown.

A rack or toothed path I1 is placed on the bottom 3 of each respective box IE having an elongated oval shape, each being composed of an inner straight-line branch 42, an outer straightline branch 43, a'forward rounded end 44 and a rear rounded end 45, the two rounded ends being circular, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The upper portion of each box-like structure 15 has an inwardly projecting ledge 19 preferably all around its upper edge, and a nonrotatable but slidable pin 20 is arranged in a bracket or lug 46 on the inner side of each frame leg 3; a spring A second vertical pin 48 is carried by the forward end of the leg frame 3 (Figs. 2,3 and 4), said pin being fixedly and non-rotatably secured in said frame, and carrying at its lower end a forked member 49 similar to the forked member carried at the lower end of the rear rotatable pin H and having a transverse shaft 50 journaled therein, on the outer end'of which is secured a second gear 5| adapted to run on the outer branch 43 of the rack II, similarly to the gear I0 carried by the rearward rotatable pin I I. The said second gear 5I, however, is narrower than the first gear I0 and runs on the outer side of the rack- I1. An extension rack path 52 is provided towards the front end of my device.

Limit stops 54 and 55 are provided on the inner side of the top of the box-like structures I5, at the forward and rearward ends thereof, respectively, said fixed limits being in the travel of the lugs 46 on the inner sides of leg frames 3, soas toprovide means to limit the forward and rearward travel of the respective leg frames 2. I

The cross piece 55 may connect the two side box structures I5 in the rear part thereof so that my whole device will take the shape of a U, open in the front and may be placed in an exact position around the upper portions of the butcher block I5, said block having an extension or shoulder 32a. in the rear thereof into which said cross piece 56 may be removably secured, as by the screws 35, similar screws being provided for the removable securing of the box-like structures on the side ledges 32.

A projecting :hood 24 in the form of a section of a hollow cylinder may be applied above the brush I having inwardly turned pockets 25 adapted to receive the dirt, particles of blood, etc., loosened, removed and thrown into them by the operation of the brush, said protector being preferably hooked into loops 33 at the two sides of the leg frame 3, as at 34.

An electric motor 26 with contact rings 21 maybe arranged at each end of the brush I, whereby to rotate the same.

Any suitable means, well known to those versed in this art may be employed to provide current to thevarious motors in my device and to interconnect them, one employed being indicated in a diagrammatic manner in Fig. l. A socket 25 is provided for the connection of the electric current as by the plug 58 carrying conductors 28 and switch 3| and receiving the current from the negative and positive source indicated at 59.

From the socket 28, the current may be branched off to the conductor rings 21 of the motors 25 and also to insulated conductor bars 50 in the depressed bottoms of the box structures I5 within the oval rack path I I from which insulated conductors may be led into the conductor rings of motors 4| operating the gears III, the details of said connections being-only indicated in the drawings and being well known to those versed in my device will be placed thereon, the two side box this art. I

The use and operation of my device is as follows: when it' is desired to clean a butcher block,

Assuming that my device is in the rear of the I butcher block in its rearward limit position indicated with full lines in Fig. 3, gears II will be rotated in such a manner that each will travel forwardly on the straight branch 42 of the oval rack path I1, thereby carrying the whole frame 2 wlth its associated parts forwardly/Spring 2| is of a: greatly stronger force than spring I4 so thatthebrush lwillallthetimebestrong'iy pressed against the butcher block and will thoroughly scrub and clean the same. When the lug 46 arrives at the front stop 55, the forward travel of the device will be stopped but the gear I0 will keep on rotating so that it will travel around the front circular end 44 of said path, its pin II describing a half turn, whereupon the said gears III will start rearwardly on the outer branch 43 of the rack path II carrying the device rearwardly until the lug 45 arrives against the limit stop, 54 when the rearward motion of my device will again be stopped, but the gear I0 will keep on rotating and will travel around the circular rearward portion 45 of the rack path II until the gear I0 arrives at the initial position herein described and shown in Fig. 4 when the play again begins. It will be seen that in this manner the brush will travel forward and backward over the whole surface of the butcher block I6, my device being of such proportions that the brush I will travel over beyond the forward and rearward edges of the butcher block I5, as indicated by the full line and dotted line respectively, limit positions of my device in Fig. 3. The brush I will also be made longer than the width of the surface of the butcher block I5 so as to insure a cleaning of said surface in all its portions.

The forward pin 48 and its gear 5I of the leg 52 is provided only to allow a forward limit run, a 1

of said gear 5|, as indicated in Figs. 3 and'4. I

Rollers 22 on slidable pins 20 are provided to further steady and guide my device in its forward and backward travel, as will be understood.

In Fig. 4, the gears I0 and 5I are shown by full lines in the imaginary dotted position of the frame 2 and its associated parts at the forward limit-of its travel, for more clearly indicating the position of said gears at the forward limit of their travel.

What I claim as new, is: I

1. In a cleaning device for butcher blocks and plates, a removable first frame adapted to be secured on the block or plate along its sides and leaving free the top surface of the block or plate, a second frame carried by said first frame and being movable in relation thereto, a rotatable brush carried by said second frame, means to rotate said brush and means to press it against the top surface of the block or plate, a rack in .said' first frame on each side of the block or plate, a rotatable gear in said second frame for each rack, said rack being in the form of an elongated closed curve, with straight sides and circular ends, and said gear being carried on a rotatable pin in said second frame so as to be adapted to travel around the circular ends'of said closed curve and thereby make the rounds of said second curve causing said frame to travel back and forth. Y

2. In a cleaning device for butcher blocks and plates, a removable first frame adapted to be secured on the block or plate along its sides and leaving-free the top surface of the, block or plate, a seco frame carried by said first frame and being vable in relation thereto, a rotatable brush carried by said second frame, means to rotate said brush and'means to press it 81 11 the top surface of the block or plate,,a rack in saidflrst frame on each sideof the block or plate, a rotatable gear insaid second frame for eachrack,saidrackbeingintheformofan elongated closed curve, withstraight sldesand 7's adapted to travel around the circular ends, and said gear being carried on a rotatable pin in said second frame so as to be circular ends of said closed curve and thereby make the rounds of said curve causing said second frame to travel back and forth; limit stops on said first frame for the travel of said second frame and to cause said second frame to rest'at the limits of its travel while said gear passes over the circular ends of said elongated closed curve.

3. A butcher's block cleaning device, comprising companion elongated boxes operatively secured in fixed parallelism on said block; an inverted Uframe movably arranged over and across gears over the tracks for the boxes; a rotary brush on said frame and contacting with the upper face of said block, spring means for exerting a down thrust through the brush to the block and for exerting an up relieving thrust slighter-than said down thrust;

gear tracks in said boxes; gear wheels or cogs riding said tracks, means for connecting the gear wheels to said frame; power means for rotating said brush; power means for driving some of said moving the brush and its supporting frame over said block with the brush in rotary contact therewith for cleaning "the same. 

